The Hindu Business Line : SIMA sets target to increase ELS cotton production

The special project to increase the extra long staple (ELS) cotton through mission mode approach prepared by the Southern India Mills Association (SIMA), the textile mill management body, has set a physical target to increase the ELS cotton production to 15 lakh bales by 2010 and 20 lakh bales by 2015.

The SIMA's mission mode approach for ELS cotton development prepared along with confederation of Indian textile industry (CITI) has sought to establish a ELS cotton special purpose vehicle under private-public partnership to promote the ELS cotton and one of the objectives of the programme is to make the Indian ELS cotton brand in the international cotton market.

According to Mr S.V. Arumugam, Chairman of SIMA , the mission mode ELS cotton promotion programme would require Rs 50 crore funding.

It would centre around accelerating research and development aimed at both strengthening existing ELS cotton varieties such as Suvin and MCU-5 and also breeding new barbadense varieties equal in fibre quality to the present day Egyptian cottons as well as ensuring the genetic purity through maintenance breeding.

The SIMA Chairman said the industry is compelled to reorient its strategy on ELS cotton development in the backdrop of sharp decline in the country's ELS cotton output.

As against the industry's requirement of about nine lakh bales, the current ELS cotton output is just 2.6 lakh bales during 2005-06.

Accounting for about 40 per cent of the global share in the fine and superfine cotton yarn trade (which require extra long staple cotton varieties), the country's R&D thrust on ELS cotton will have to address on issues such as enhancing fibre quality parameters, per hectare yield and cultivation area if it had to achieve the 15 lakh bales of ELS cotton by 2010.

More Stories on : Cotton | Industry Associations | Tamil Nadu | Textiles

Article E-Mail :: Comment :: Syndication :: Printer Friendly Page

Stories in this Section
Model limitations blamed for rain figure disparity

Rallis India to launch Bt-II cottonseed next year

Global cereal supplies to tighten: FAO

Tuber Institute bags Sardar Patel award

Kerala to file review petition on trawling ban extension

Further fall in spot rubber

EID Parry looking at Karnataka, AP

Sugar mixed

Cotton institute plans workshop

SIMA sets target to increase ELS cotton production

Madurai to host jute fair

Edible oils rule weak

Tobacco Board may peg crop size at higher level

Pepper futures decline on bearish sentiment

Imported arecanuts' quality found poor

Cumin seeds export up on global short supply